First Date
by gray-streaks
Summary: Percy and Annabeth go on their first date after the Battle of Manhattan. Prompt for tumblr user Animeangelriku


"I need you to look at the design for your dad's temple," Annabeth says the instant I answer the phone.

"Hello to you too," I say laughing as I drop my pencil onto my algebra book. Seriously, whose idea was it to mix letters with numbers anyway? I mean on purpose, not just because their dyslexia was being particularly awful that day. "Again?"

"It has to be perfect."

I laugh again, "That's what you said about Athena's and Zeus's and – all of the others. Relax, it'll be fine, if they don't like something, I doubt they'll be quiet about it. Besides, if Dad has a problem with the whole 'daughter of Athena' thing, I sure he would have said something years ago."

Annabeth sighs, "This was a bad idea, why did I agree to this?"

"They handed you your dream it's not like you could turn it down."

"Of course I could, you turned down a _Godhood_, I could totally turn down a chance to build a few buildings." She tries to sound confident, but I know my girlfriend well enough to know that she's not sure she could have.

"Completely different, I've never dreamed about being a god."

"Never?"

"Not even once."

Annabeth laughs a bit and we fall into a comfortable silence for a few seconds.

I haven't seen her in person since schools started on Monday, between classes, homework, and the amount of time she has to spend working on her designs for Olympus so it could be completely rebuilt by the council meeting on the winter solstice (her deadline, not the Gods') there just isn't time to make cross Manhattan trips because I want to give her a kiss. I can do that now, kiss her, and it's _awesome_. Still, it's a more than a little pathetic how much I miss her, and it's only going to get worse.

"We should do something," I hear myself say.

Annabeth laughs again, gods I love her laugh, even if it sounds a little sad at the moment. "What?" She asks. "When?"

I don't even have to think about it. "Saturday, day after tomorrow, and I don't know, but I'll figure something out. One day before everything gets absolutely crazy, just the two of us."

I can practically hear the smile in her voice when she says, "I'd love to, Seaweed Brain."

XxXx

It's about 9:30 on Saturday morning when I meet Annabeth at the door to the building, normally she'd come up to our apartment, but Mom's been going on about first dates and how grown up I am all morning, so I took the money Paul handed me and got out as quickly as I could.

Annabeth is leaning against the lamppost in a pair of jeans and an old Camp Half-Blood shirt that's so faded it looks almost pink, her leather necklace with its nine beads in around her neck, her blonde curls are already threatening to escape her ponytail and, though I can't see it, I'm positive her celestial bronze dagger is her backpack. It's a look I've seen so many times I sometimes wonder if she owns anything else. She's gorgeous.

I go to pull her into a kiss just because I can, but she's already reaching for me and we're both grinning before our lips even touch. It's awesome.

Neither of us has eaten yet so we go to the little coffee shop a few blocks away that Annabeth loves. We hold hands the whole way there while she tries to explain to what exactly it is about Dad's temple that's giving her more problems than the rest. She insists that it has nothing to do with trying to get his approval. I silently disagree.

"You're not listening to a word I say, are you?"

I laugh, and open the door to the coffee shop, "I'm listening. I just don't understand half of it."

She smiles, ducking under my arm, "I brought the blue-prints, I'll show you."

I wait until after we order before I say, "Later, tonight before you have to leave maybe, but today's about taking a break before you try to do everything at once."

"I can handle it," Annabeth says confidently as she takes her bagel and coffee from the guy behind the counter.

I thank the guy and grab my own breakfast. "Of course you can," I grin, following her to a table. "The point still stands."

She smiles at me over her cup, "I suppose."

We eat out bagels in silence for a moment. I can't get over how little has changed. Sure she's my girlfriend now, and that's amazing, but she's still just Annabeth. We're still best friends, I'd still go with her on any quest if she asked and probably follow her anyway if she didn't. I still can't lose her. But now I don't have to hold back when I want to hold her hand or just _her_ and it's the most amazing feeling in the world. I don't think I could go back to being just her friend if I had to, it would kill me.

I know I'm probably staring at her, but if she notices, she doesn't say anything, but she ducks her head and smiles up at me, shyer than I've ever seen her. I think she noticed.

"So, where are we going?"

"I don't suppose you've ever heard of the New York Aquarium?"

She rolls her eyes and laughs like I knew she would, "They're always so original with their names, aren't they? But an aquarium, Seaweed Brain, really?"

"I never said we had to go in, but if you don't _want_ to go to Coney Island I'm sure we could find something else."

She laughs even louder at that.

And yea it's going to be the best date ever.


End file.
